CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE: Brandon Herrera vs. Katy Padilla Stout

[0:00] Hello everyone and welcome to Texas Votes. We are focused on the 23rd congressional district [0:06] on this Tuesday. We're going to have a debate between the two candidates and we thank you [0:10] for joining us. I am Robert Olguin. Thank you for joining us all the way from El Paso. I'm [0:15] Yami Virgen from KABB and WAI here in San Antonio. Tonight we are joined by the two candidates [0:22] running for the district, District 23, Brenda Herrera and Katie Padilla-Stout. Thank you [0:29] for joining us today. Yes and if you're wondering why an El Paso anchor from the Fox affiliate is [0:34] here it's because this district is really a remarkable district. It is a massive congressional [0:39] district that extends from the eastern edge of El Paso all the way here to western San Antonio. [0:45] That includes of course everything in between. So there will be plenty that we're going to talk [0:50] about. There's going to be issues that we're going to address and we want to thank both the candidates [0:54] for being here tonight. And this district includes military families, ranchers and business people [1:00] who live from San Antonio all the way to El Paso. And a lot of news lately in between there we have [1:07] data centers, Big Bend, all kinds of things that are going on all over the country but some [1:13] specifically to this area. A big military town and you guys also have a base in El Paso. Yeah for sure. [1:20] All these issues of course coming together and we will talk about them tonight. So we're going to [1:25] begin now with the rules for this debate. We did have to establish some ground rules here. Each [1:30] candidate will get 90 seconds for an opening statement. A coin toss determined who will go [1:37] first and who closes last. Now we'll alternate asking questions with each candidate getting 90 seconds [1:44] to answer. One minute for rebuttal. We'll also rotate who answers first and during our online stream [1:50] after the broadcast portion ends we'll take questions from viewers on social media with Jordan Elder. Yeah [1:57] and with that Brandon you won the coin toss here just a few minutes ago so we'll kick off with your [2:02] opening statements. You have 90 seconds and the floor is yours. Yes sir I greatly appreciate it. Well thank you [2:06] all for hosting this. I think this is going to be a wonderful conversation. To those at home my name is Brandon [2:12] Herrera. I'm running as the Republican nominee for Texas District 23. This has been my family's home for [2:18] five generations. I've got family from Laredo to Dilly all the way up here in San Antonio and Texas has [2:25] offered me a lot of beautiful opportunities to grow my manufacturing business and it's become my home. [2:30] I love it to death and I want to see it defended including its values and that's where I think there's some [2:35] major differences between myself and my opponent tonight. I think Texas District 23 being the biggest border [2:42] district in the entire country. Me and my opponent have very different views on how to deal with the [2:46] border. I think it needs to remain closed. I think we need strong border policy. My opponent wants to [2:50] return to Biden's catch and release. We have different views on affordability. I want to lower taxes for [2:56] working families. My opponent wants to raise them. We have different views on who owns your children. [3:02] My opponent thinks that the government does or that the community does. I think parents have the right to [3:06] decide and so those are going to be some of the issues that I think we're we're going to be debating tonight. [3:11] I'm looking forward to a fruitful conversation and I thank you once again for hosting. [3:15] All right, Mr. Rivera, thank you so much. Katie, your opening statement now. You have a minute and 30 seconds. [3:19] Thank you so much. My name is Katie Fadiastout and I am a native Texan. I am a teacher. I am a child [3:27] welfare attorney and I am also a mother of four. I am running for Congress for three main reasons. That is cost, [3:34] corruption and children. Cost. Everything from gas to groceries is too expensive right now. I will fight [3:43] Trump's failed policies to ensure that prices are lowered for your family. Corruption. Members in [3:49] Congress right now are trading stocks and making millions of dollars while we are just trying to [3:55] make ends meet. I won't participate in that and I will vote to stop it. Children. They are my heart and my [4:04] life's work. I will work to continue to fight for them. It is why I believe in universal pre-K access [4:11] to health care and keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people. My opponent is unfit for this [4:18] office for a multitude of reasons, but there's one in particular. He went to Robb Elementary three months [4:26] after the tragedy that occurred there and fired a gun at child-shaped targets. He said things like, [4:33] that's a kill shot. He makes millions of dollars doing just that. If you don't believe me, go to [4:41] hereallysaidit.com. He'll call back about my work and call me a radical, but I'll let you know that [4:49] Texas values include affordability and taking care of your family. Thank you. And with that, let's start [4:55] with the first question. I shortened training for new deportation officers with some experienced recruits [5:03] training virtually. The full academy returned then in July. In light of recent incidents, [5:09] including right here in Texas, should Congress mandate full academy and supervise field training [5:17] before officers ever hit the streets? Brandon? We absolutely want to make sure that the officers [5:23] that are in the streets have the fullest extent of training, and that extends beyond ICE. That is, [5:28] of course, including ICE, but including our, you know, our sheriff's department, our deputies, [5:32] our San Antonio police officers, and, you know, law enforcement across the district and across the [5:36] country. We want to make sure that we have, we give them the access to all the training, the tools, [5:42] and the resources that they need to best complete their job to the best of their ability and to the best [5:47] that they can. Now, the way that we do that is through finances. The way that we do that is through [5:52] making sure that they have those resources. And my opponent has, you know, been for defunding the police. [5:58] She does not stand by law enforcement officers. And so that's something that we definitely need, [6:02] especially in the city of size of, for example, San Antonio and El Paso. We desperately need to make [6:07] sure they have the resources and the training to be able to effectively do the job. And everywhere in [6:12] between, all the small towns and small counties that are between San Antonio and El Paso, they need [6:17] those resources now more than ever, because unfortunately they don't have the big populations that the big [6:22] cities do. So that they need those resources. And one of the things that they need is that appropriation [6:27] to come back to the district. They need the funds, they need the resources to be able to do the job [6:32] and keep our people safe. Thank you, Brandon. Katie, you have a minute and a half for your response. [6:38] Thank you. I absolutely support our law enforcement. It's why the sheriff in El Paso, [6:43] sheriff in Bexar County, and sheriffs all over District 23 have endorsed me and my campaign. [6:48] I fully believe that all officers need to be fully trained, that we should not be making exceptions, [6:54] but anything other than qualified people to do the job that we need. As an attorney, [6:59] I fully believe in due process, and I believe that needs to be followed regardless of where we are. [7:05] Law enforcement needs our support, they also need our training, and we need the trust to know that we [7:11] are going to be protected. Thank you. You have a minute for a rebuttal. Sure. Well, I just wanted to [7:17] point out that I was endorsed by the San Antonio Police Officers Association and sheriffs across the [7:22] district because they know that I will stand with law enforcement and make sure that they have the [7:26] funding allocated to be able to protect our schools, to be able to protect our people and protect our [7:31] cities and keep the streets safe. Something that we're very passionate about, and especially those [7:35] West Texas sheriffs. I've met with plenty of them, and they know that I'm the one that's going to be [7:39] fighting to get them those resources to make sure that the rural counties aren't left out so we don't [7:43] have another Rob Elementary, to make sure that they have access to the vehicles and the training [7:48] and the tools to be able to do the job, not just to protect the children, but to be able to protect [7:52] everyone across the district. All right, we're moving on now to our next question, an issue that [7:58] has loomed large over these midterms here. Large data centers are expanding across Texas, bringing [8:05] investment, but also increasing demand for electricity and water and concerns about the environment. [8:12] Rural communities worry about higher utility costs and depleted aquifers. Should Congress [8:19] impose limits impose limits on those resources or the usage of those resources, or should those [8:25] decisions remain with local communities? And Katie, we're going to begin with you now. [8:29] Thank you. On the issue of data centers, I've sat with many people all over this district [8:34] who are highly concerned, who have a large data center right in their backyard where they have to hear [8:40] the humdrum sound and see the lights at all hours of the night and day. Because they have those concerns [8:46] and because we have a shortage of water here in Texas, I do believe there needs to be a minimum [8:51] standard that needs to be federally regulated. There are some times when we work together as 50 states [8:57] and there are some times when we have local control. Data centers are growing all over this country. [9:03] Artificial intelligence is definitely expanding and we need to ensure that in our country we have a [9:09] minimum regulation of standards. We should not leave this up to every single individual community to [9:15] fight on their own. I do believe in local control. I think that they are happy to impose and pass things [9:21] far and beyond beyond that. But what I do want to make sure is that data centers are paying their fair [9:26] share, that they are making sure that they're not just bringing jobs for construction because we know [9:30] those are very short-sighted, but that they are paying the taxes they should be paying to be investing in [9:36] those communities. Because it doesn't matter if we have a job if we don't have access to clean water. [9:41] All right, Brandon you have a minute 30 to respond. So I've talked with people all over West Texas and [9:48] it's become very clear that West Texas has become ground zero for data centers in this country now. [9:53] There's a lot of cheap land out there and there's a lot of cheap utilities. Now the problem is when they [9:57] come in and they're completely unregulated, they buy up the land, they take water from our aquifers that we [10:04] don't have and they drive up those utility costs for the local people because we currently don't have any [10:09] regulations saying that they need to bring their own power or that they need to bring their own water. [10:13] Now a lot of them are operating on closed loop systems now and that's better, but at the same time [10:17] they need to be water positive in my opinion, not just be water neutral, not just be power neutral, [10:23] but let's find ways that we can regulate data centers to where they are water positive. You know all that funding [10:29] going toward things like desal plants, things that bring water back to West Texas. And with that, [10:35] the tax base that they bring, I think there can be great cooperation. But on top of that, [10:39] we need to make sure that we remain giving people local control. We need to make sure that no community [10:46] has a data center that shoved down its throat without their approval. And if we can partner together [10:51] with local communities to make sure that they're still at the helm, while also giving regulations from [10:56] the top down to making sure they're not just taking advantage of West Texas communities, I think [11:01] they can be good partners. Kate, you have a minute to respond to. It wasn't true to me whether or not [11:06] he's arguing for federal regulation of data centers, but what I will say is that a family in West Texas [11:11] shouldn't have to limit the amount of water they're using and try to save money to make ends meet while [11:16] we are allowing data centers to use as much water as they want without paying their fair share. He talks [11:22] about water positive. We're not quite sure what that means, but he has said on the campaign trail that he [11:26] believes in nuclear energy. No one wants a nuclear energy facility in their backyard. That is [11:32] dangerous, also requires water, also incredibly expensive. Either we're going to come in and [11:37] we're going to give a minimum standard federally across the nation, or we're going to leave every [11:42] single city out in West Texas communities to fight for themselves. And I am not okay with that. [11:47] Brandon, one minute. Absolutely. Well, I think it's interesting that my opponent is fighting [11:52] apparently now for the regulation of data centers while she's funded by an organization that wants [11:59] unrestricted construction of data centers in West Texas. And as far as nuclear energy, I think that [12:05] most people are seeing that that is the future when it comes to data centers and things, especially when [12:09] it comes to lowering utility costs and feeding back to the grid, lowering people's costs for their energy [12:15] monthly. And it's something that the military has started to adopt in places like Fort Bliss, and it's [12:20] something that we're seeing other countries adopt because it's very clearly the future. And I think [12:24] to shut it down early because of Cold War era fears of nuclear would be completely unwise, unjustified, [12:30] and completely financially ridiculous. All right. And we will be right back after this commercial [12:36] break. There's the debate for the 23rd congressional district. Yeah, we're just getting started. Join us on [12:43] the other side of this break. Hey, everyone. Welcome back to Texas Votes, a live debate here where we are [12:52] hearing from the Democrat and the Republican hoping to represent Texas's 23rd congressional district. [12:58] I am Robert Holguin. And I am Jamie Virgen here in San Antonio. And they're watching us also [13:04] all the way to El Paso tonight. We're going to continue with the next question. It is, [13:10] Uvalde is part of the district you want to represent. Four years ago, 19 children and two teachers [13:18] were killed at Robb Elementary. A federal investigation found major failures in the police response. [13:26] What specific federal legislation would you support to prevent another school shooting [13:32] while also protecting second rights amendments? Brandon? So Robb was an absolute travesty. And of [13:40] course, it's going to be a use case for changes in standard operating procedures for law enforcement [13:47] across the country for years to come. The real question is, how do we make sure that that never [13:52] happens again? And in order to answer that question, we have to ask ourselves exactly why was it targeted [13:58] in the first place? And the answer is that it's a soft target, as many are, many of these school [14:02] shootings and many of these mass shootings. Now, the question is why we don't have armed security at [14:07] schools protecting our children. As a country, we've decided that our politicians, they get armed [14:13] security, banks get armed security, but our children do not, which means we sent a message that I don't [14:19] really like, which is that we value the security of our politicians and our money more than we value [14:24] our children. I think that needs to stop. I think there's a lot of programs that we can work through [14:28] that will allow armed security to be there at schools, especially for things like out-of-work veterans. [14:33] There's a lot of veterans right now that are looking for jobs and looking for a mission and would love [14:38] to be able to take care of America's children and make sure that they stay safe, [14:42] making it a hard target, making sure that we don't have senseless violence like this again. [14:46] And it's easy to just have feel-good legislation that makes it feel like you're doing something, [14:50] but we need to make sure children are actually safe. And until we have people that are safeguarding [14:54] our children, I don't think they ever will be. Thank you, Brandon. Katie, you have a minute and a [14:59] half for the rebuttal. Thank you. I'm a mom of four. I have to send my kids to school, just like many of you. [15:05] I have a first grader who once asked me, or when my child was in first grade, once asked me after the Uvalde [15:10] shooting, if I could send him with an Apple AirTag in his shoe, so that if there was a shooting, [15:15] I would know how to find him. It's clear that Brandon Herrera hasn't done much research into [15:20] school shootings, or he would know that there are plenty of school shootings where we had armed [15:25] officers on the scene. In Uvalde, we had plenty of armed officers there at the scene for over 45 minutes, [15:32] and yet our children and our teachers were not safe. That does not work. Let's talk about things that do [15:38] work, investing in mental health, raising the assault weapons age to buying to 21, which I've [15:45] spoken with local gun owners and they have our gun businesses, and they've stated it wouldn't really [15:50] affect their business. Let's talk about making sure that our kids are safe by methods we know that work [15:56] and staying away from ones we know don't. All right. You have one minute for the rebuttal, Brandon. [16:03] Absolutely. Well, I think my opponent is entirely incorrect. I think we've seen multiple cases. One just [16:07] happened a couple weeks ago where there was a mass shooter who tried to inflict harm on as many people [16:12] as possible at an in and out, and I think it was not one but two armed citizens actually responded [16:17] and cut his rampage short. We've seen it again in Indiana with the, I think it was the Greenwood Mall, [16:22] where an armed citizen was able to stop a mass shooter. What would have been dozens of casualties [16:27] for sure was cut short because of someone who was armed. Now, there is something to be said about the [16:31] law enforcement response in Uvalde, and there's a lot of things. I mean, I'm going to give flowers to some of my [16:36] friends at Nashville Metro PD. They handled a similar situation much better, and that's something that I [16:42] think we need. It goes back to the law enforcement making sure they have the training, the skill set, [16:47] the tools to do what they need, and as far as it with what my opponent mentioned early on about me going [16:52] to Rob Elementary, that's a complete fabrication. It never happened, and frankly, I would like an apology [16:57] because it's slander. Katie, you have a minute. Sure. I'll apologize. It wasn't at Rob Elementary. It was down [17:04] the street in Uvalde County three months after that shooting happened, but I apologize for saying [17:09] you weren't actually at the elementary school. I'd like an apology for saying I want to defund the [17:13] police, saying I am funded by unfiltered AI data people, which you can't name, that I am asking for [17:21] catch and release, which I have never said. But let's talk about what he doesn't want to talk about. [17:25] He didn't mention a school shooting. I'm a parent with kids at schools. Children, hundreds of children in a [17:32] school is a much different situation than people at an in-and-out or people at a mall. Students and [17:38] teachers need protection and they need real policies that are going to do that, not rhetoric. [17:45] All right. Again, we are just getting started here. We have plenty more to talk about, [17:49] and we're actually going to hear from you, our viewers, who are talking to us online and presenting [17:55] us with questions to provide to these two candidates. So there's more of that to come. Stay with us here. [17:59] Join us after the break. Welcome back, everyone, to Texas Votes, a live debate here between the [18:11] Democrat and Republican, hoping to represent the 23rd congressional district here in the state of [18:16] Texas. And during tonight's debate, we are also asking you, the voters, about what you would like [18:23] to hear from the candidates. That is right. And we ask you to submit those questions. Be very careful [18:29] what you're putting on there for candidates on our social media pages. No vulgarities, language pretty [18:35] clean on there. It's probably pretty good advice. And it's Jordan Elder's job to go through all those [18:40] questions. She is standing by. She's keeping an eye out for those questions. We want to check in with [18:46] Jordan right now. Jordan? Guys, you can submit questions on Facebook, on our YouTube live stream, [18:52] any of our social media pages. We've got this post pinned to the top so you can get on there and leave a [18:57] comment with the question that you would like to ask. In just a couple minutes, the candidates will [19:01] get a chance to answer some of those questions that you are submitting. We're looking forward to [19:05] bringing you those. And Jordan, you mentioned that you're already getting quite a few thoughtful [19:10] questions for the candidates. Very much so. A lot of them have hit on the topics that you guys are [19:15] hitting with the candidates, but we're also seeing some different topics brought up like health care, [19:19] different border questions. So we'll be going through all of those here at the social desk and we'll bring [19:23] them to the candidates here shortly. Fantastic. All right. Thank you, Jordan. And remember, [19:28] we will be live streaming this debate. It doesn't end here. Right. You can move right on over to the [19:34] platforms and you can continue watching and putting in your questions and we'll be right back. [19:48] All right. Welcome back again. We are in the middle of this congressional debate here, [19:52] the Republican and Democrat hoping to represent the 23rd congressional district in Texas. We have with us [19:58] Brandon Herrera and the Republican who is hoping to become the next congressman for this district. [20:03] And we have Katie Padilla-Stout who also is hoping to represent the 23rd in DC. And we are going to [20:10] have another 30 minutes of this debate that we are moving from television online. Without commercials. [20:17] Yes. And that's why we're asking people to put in their questions, go online. And Jordan has been going [20:23] through those questions. And tonight, you know, we have you here representing El Paso. This is a huge [20:29] district. It runs all the way from El Paso to San Antonio. It is important not only because of the [20:35] border, but also the military presence between our two cities. And this is something that I think a lot [20:42] of people are right now going online. And we're going to go over to Jordan to see some of the topics [20:48] that they are asking because people are ready to go online and go nonstop. That's right. We'll be [20:53] uninterrupted once we come back for the next half hour. Jordan, what are we what are we hearing from [20:57] viewers right now? Well, Yami and Robert, like you said, this is a very widespread district. [21:01] We're also seeing a wide range of questions here. We have people asking about health care, [21:05] specifically rural health care, which is a big deal for Texas's 23rd district. And then a lot of [21:10] specific questions about priorities in Congress. Things like your top priority, working across the [21:17] aisle, different bills that have been proposed now that they are looking for your takes on. So a lot [21:24] of questions are coming in now. So please continue putting in your questions. We have the option to [21:29] ask it pinned at the top of both of our Facebook pages, News for San Antonio and Fox San Antonio. We're [21:34] also monitoring the live streams of all of these debates, and we will continue to do that over the course of [21:39] the next half hour. So get your questions in here shortly. We're going to get to pose them directly [21:43] to the candidates. All right. That's right. And your station, your call letters, KFOX. Yeah, [21:49] KFOXTV.com. We're moving the conversation from on air to online, the streaming portion [21:54] of the debate. So yes, KFOXTV.com. Again, representing how unique this district is, right? Because here we are [22:02] in San Antonio, and I'm very glad to be here in these beautiful studios with all of you [22:06] beautiful people here. But yeah, this district, whoever wins this race will be representing that [22:11] huge swath along the border. You know, a very interesting district that's been represented by [22:17] Republicans since 2015. But perhaps that would change. That is what we're going to hear about [22:23] tonight. That's right. And I'm sure a lot of people are going online right now have to be asking about [22:29] big bend. Big bend has been in the news constantly, especially from here all the way to [22:36] Terrell County, Presidio Brewster County, they depend on the economy. But it's also an area that [22:42] many in the country are very concerned about who comes in, who leaves, and that we have the right [22:49] security there. So we have a lot of questions from what I understand that are coming in right now on all [22:54] of that. And you can scan that QR code right there on your screen. That will take you to the YouTube [22:58] platform where this debate continues for another 30 minutes. We hope you can join us on the other side [23:05] of this break. It's one of the largest congressional districts in the country, stretching from parts of [23:14] San Antonio to El Paso and along the US-Mexico border. From Medina, Uvalde, Maverick, and Valverde [23:22] counties west through Terrell, Brewster, Presidio, Culberson, and Hudspeth. It's a district of ranchers, [23:31] military families, and border communities. Created in 1967, it's been represented by both Democrats [23:39] and Republicans with boundaries challenged in federal court. Most recently, Republican Congressman [23:46] Tony Gonzalez resigned in April after admitting to an affair with a staffer, [23:51] amid additional sexual misconduct allegations. Now, two top candidates, one congressional seat. [23:59] And tonight, Republican candidate Brandon Herrera. And Democrat Katie Padilla-Stout face off. [24:06] Answering the questions that matter to the people they want to represent. Thank you for joining us here [24:19] for the second half of Texas Votes. An online debate here between the Democratic candidate for the 23rd [24:25] Congressional District and the Republican candidate, hoping to represent that part of Texas in D.C. [24:31] I am Robert Olguin. And I am Jami Virgen. Robert, thank you for joining us from El Paso, our sister [24:37] station here in San Antonio. It is a pleasure to be here. Thank you so much. Now, we're going to get [24:42] right to it. We have asked you to put in your questions. We have Jordan Elder standing by. Viewers, [24:48] voters at home have been sending in questions that they want to hear from both of you right now. Jordan [24:55] is standing by. Jordan, what are you seeing right now? What questions? Yami and Robert, [25:00] we're getting a lot of very thoughtful questions. And so we are going to pose this one to our candidates. [25:04] Yami and Robert are going to handle the timing of this question again, just like our previous [25:08] questions. Shara Greenlee says, rural Texans often face long drives to see specialists, [25:14] limited hospital access and rising health care costs. What specific policies would you support [25:20] to keep rural hospitals open and make health care more affordable? Brandon? So it's actually [25:25] a fantastic question. I greatly appreciate you for asking it because a lot of those rural communities [25:30] do seem to get forgotten about a lot of times. And we need to make sure that we're representing [25:34] everybody and not just the major cities. So this issue applies widely to two different groups of people. [25:39] There's the everyday working class American and specifically veterans. Now, [25:44] veterans have a hard time getting health care out there in those rural communities, [25:47] especially disabled ones, because they've got to drive to bigger VA hospitals like Audie Murphy and [25:52] out to El Paso. And that's not something everybody has the ability to do, which is why I specifically [25:57] want to open up to more community care to make sure they get the care that they need. When it comes to [26:01] rural hospitals and making sure everybody can have access to that kind of health care, a lot of that [26:06] infrastructure is dependent on appropriations. And that comes from the federal government. There are state grants, [26:12] but a lot of that needs to come from the federal government, the way that things are set up now. [26:15] And this seat historically has benefited from an appropriations seat. And that is what I'm seeking [26:21] once again, because we have so much critical oil infrastructure, energy infrastructure, transportation [26:28] infrastructure that really needs to be maintained. And West Texas doesn't have the population to give it [26:32] the tax base to be able to do that job. And that manifests in roads, that manifests in law enforcement, [26:39] that manifests in rural hospitals. And there's only one candidate on the stage that has a shot at [26:44] getting that appropriations seat that this district so deeply relies on. Thank you, Brandon. Katie? [26:51] Thank you. Rural health care is something that is really close to my heart. My father almost died [26:57] because he had his blood sugar go up to a really high amount. And luckily that regional hospital was still [27:05] open. That regional hospital is set to close. I was just at that regional hospital again last week visiting [27:13] my uncle who is battling cancer in that hospital. He's watching tonight. I can assure you that rural [27:20] health care will be at the top of my priority because people deserve better. It's not just about profits, [27:27] and it's not just about finances. It can be the decision between life and death. And I take those things [27:34] incredibly seriously. He's saying only one person can be on appropriations or only has a shot at that. [27:40] I would say it's a coveted role. You have to earn your way there, something he's not super familiar with. [27:45] But I will fight for you in ways that matter to help to bring home what we need. [27:51] You have a minute for a rebuttal, Brandon? Absolutely. Well, I've talked to a lot of the disabled [27:55] veterans across the district. This is something that's very, very top of mind for them, [27:59] as well as a lot of the administrators at some of these rural hospitals that deeply rely on that [28:03] appropriation seat. Now, what I didn't hear was any concrete answers about what my opponent plans to [28:07] do. But specifically, I'd like to know because I've I've been making inroads. I've been talking with [28:12] House leadership. I've been been making those those bridges right now with the people at the [28:18] steering committee who are in charge of finding out and determining who is on that appropriation [28:22] seat. I would like to know who she's been talking to in the steering committee and why she thinks she [28:26] would have a shot at it. Is that even a committee that she's interested in? Because I know that this [28:30] district heavily relies on it, whether it's law enforcement, whether it's rural hospitals, [28:35] whether it's oil infrastructure, whether it's our border, we need that seat, especially now more than [28:40] ever. And that's something that I'm going to fight very hard to make sure that I deliver on. Katie, [28:45] you have one minute. You know, Brandon Herrera wants to stand here and say that he cares about [28:49] veterans, but we all know that he made a horrific joke about veteran suicide. And maybe he should talk to [28:55] those families and see how they feel about that. We will work to get community access care, meaning [29:02] we need to invest in those hospitals. We need to be offering student loan forgiveness to encourage [29:07] nurses and doctors to work in those rural health facilities. And we need to make sure that we are [29:12] advocating at every chance we can for our veterans to be able to have access to the benefits that they [29:18] deserved. They made a promise to our country and they kept that. And now it's our time to keep our [29:23] promise for when they come home. Thank you. And we go back to Jordan. Thank you to our viewers who [29:32] are submitting these on Facebook and on YouTube. We are still going to be monitoring. We're going to [29:37] do some more social media questions a little bit later in the debate. So make sure you're sending them [29:40] in if you have them. All right. Thank you. And with that, let's start with the next question. [29:46] Both of you have opposed a physical border wall going through Big Bend National Park, where construction [29:54] plans have raised concerns about private property rights and the environment. In federal spending [30:01] bills, including money for Big Bend wall, along with other border security funding you support, [30:09] would you vote against the entire bill if there was a border wall included in that area? Starting with [30:18] Brandon. Absolutely. So I want to be abundantly clear on this. I will not be voting for anything that [30:26] includes a funding for a physical barrier that disrupts Big Bend. That is something that I've [30:31] been the leading voice on the conservative side for as soon as it became an issue in the district. [30:36] You know, we were in a very precarious place where our congressman resigned. We didn't have anybody to [30:41] go to D.C. to advocate on our behalf. I did that. I went directly to D.C. I met with the White House. I met [30:47] with Department of Homeland Security. And I told them what people in Brewster County and the surrounding [30:51] areas have been telling me for months, which is that we don't need a physical barrier in Big Bend. [30:56] The tourism economy relies on it. The agricultural economy of that area relies on it. The farmers, [31:01] the ranchers, everyone in that area, nobody, the Republicans, the Democrats, the independents, [31:06] the sheriffs, the law enforcement, nobody wants a wall in the Big Bend region. And I made that message [31:10] loud and clear. And I have been the leading federal Republican that has been leading that front to make [31:17] sure that we don't have a physical barrier throughout Big Bend. And I will not vote for anything that [31:22] includes that funding in its package. It's something that's critical to Brewster County and the [31:26] surrounding areas. And it's something that, frankly, I find it very refreshing that it's actually an issue [31:32] in today's day and age that Republicans and Democrats can agree on in an incredibly divisive time. [31:37] I like finding those issues in the district where we can actually get along. Thank you, Brandon. Katie? [31:43] Thank you. Brandon Herrera says that he's the only federal Republican. Again, he's a candidate. He's [31:50] not actually in office yet, but he is still advocating for a smart wall. A smart wall would [31:57] still demand that we bulldoze our national park in the same way that we would for a physical wall. [32:04] That would still require eminent domain for landowners that would have to sacrifice their land. He is still [32:10] on the campaign trail with Donald Trump and Mike Johnson, the same people who are pushing this [32:15] agenda of building a wall in Big Bend. This is not something that I agree with. It is something that [32:21] we do differ on because our campaign and myself believe in no wall with no exceptions. And you can [32:28] absolutely take that to the bank. Brandon, you have a minute for rebuttal? Actually, I'm glad you brought up [32:34] the conversations that I've had with the White House and with Speaker Johnson because I've actually been [32:39] allowed in my relationship with them to bring this issue to light and hopefully actually make [32:44] meaningful progress on that. Something that I hope to continue fighting for after November 3rd. [32:49] It's an issue that's very important to us. It's an issue that's very important to the people that live [32:53] there. And it's something that I really have been the leading Republican on the federal stage that has [32:58] been actually talking to people like our Senate candidate Ken Paxton. I've been talking to other federal [33:04] Republicans, including August Pflueger. I was there in D.C. at the the hearing when his bill was being [33:10] pushed forward in committee where they were going to not only it's not enough to protect Big Bend, [33:15] but he was going to actually expand it and to allow private land to become a part of that [33:20] voluntarily, which I think is an amazing thing. It's an amazing park and it's something that we need to [33:24] protect for future generations. Meanwhile, now that you're on now that you're online, you can go to [33:29] TheRealKatyStout.com where you can find out where she lied about construction in Big Bend in one of her [33:35] videos. Katie, you have a minute for a rebuttal. Absolutely. Listen to his answer. We don't need [33:42] another millionaire politician not answering the question. I said he wants a smart wall that would [33:49] require bulldozing in our parks in the same way that it would require a physical wall. It would create [33:56] the same damage, the same harm to our community and to our beloved park. I said it's still going to [34:02] require eminent domain. Did you hear him answer that? Nope, he didn't. He's completely silent on [34:07] that. Those are the type of answers and the type of representation that you will get from Brandon [34:12] Herrera. Over here, we're pretty candid. Over here, we say what we believe and we stand by that. He does [34:20] not. He wants to talk about me and my record and what I do or whether or not I was in Alpine. Everyone [34:27] I talk to understands and if you're from Texas, you understand Alpine is the entry to the Big Bend region. [34:34] We were there for a protest in Alpine. We put it out there. Not a lie. Okay, we're going to move on to the [34:40] next question here. We're going to stay on theme somewhat. We're going to talk about Texas farmers [34:46] depending on water deliveries from Mexico under the 1944 Water Treaty. Delivery shortfalls have put [34:54] agriculture and rural economies under pressure. And what specific action would you take in Congress [35:02] to hold Mexico accountable while protecting Texas farmers from continuing water shortages? And Katie, [35:09] we'll begin with you. Water is a crisis that we have here in Texas. It's why the conversation [35:16] around data centers creates so much controversy. It's why we have so many people at the table [35:22] talking and trying to advocate for clean water and access to water to our communities. One thing we [35:28] have to understand is that we need a functioning border. We do not need a closed border and we [35:33] certainly don't need an open border. But if we are going to be successful in this country, [35:38] we're going to have to talk to some people that are not here. We're going to have to work with other [35:42] countries. We're going to have to work with people whose beliefs are different than ours, [35:45] and we're going to have to sit at the table with them. Closing our doors and closing our borders [35:50] and saying, we refuse to talk to you. We're not going to discuss this with you is not how we best [35:55] serve those border communities. And it's not how we best serve our country. All right, we'll pose the [36:00] same question to you. Sure. So water in West Texas in particular has become a massive issue. It's [36:06] actually one of the things that I hear most about when it comes to like the ranchers and the farmers out [36:11] across all of West Texas. And it's not just our water treaty with Mexico. I think that does need [36:17] to be revisited. But it's a multifaceted issue, whether it's rainfall, whether it's in particular, [36:22] we have the damming of the Pecos River up in New Mexico. That's something that needs to be [36:27] revisited as well because it dried up the Pecos. I don't know if you've been to, there's a town in [36:30] the district called Big Lake. And it's a bit of a misnomer now because there hasn't been a big lake [36:35] there in years. And that's something that we need to take another look at. We used to have so much [36:39] agriculture that we were so proud of here in the district. And unfortunately, with all of our [36:44] aquifers drying up, that's becoming a thing of yesteryear. And I think it needs to be reevaluated. [36:48] And as a part of that, Mexico needs to be a good faith partner with us. We need to work with them [36:53] on that, just like we need to work with them on the commercial trucking bridges, on a lot of the [36:56] projects that we're sharing together. That's something that we need to work together with them to make [37:01] sure we find a good solution, but also address a lot of the things that happen here, right here in [37:05] the United States, right here across the district, the Pecos River, the AI data centers. That's why [37:10] some of the stuff is crucially important because once those aquifers dry up or once they're partially [37:15] depleted, it's sandstone. It doesn't have the elasticity of a water balloon. It can't go back [37:20] to 100%. Once that damage is done, it's done, which is why we need federal legislation to act fast. [37:26] Katie, you have a minute for rebuttal. Thank you. Unfortunately, you can't pick both. You can't pick [37:32] serving this community and serving the needs of the community while serving corporations and [37:37] millionaires and billionaires. We do need transparency and we need a good faith partner to go to Congress [37:43] and advocate for us. That is not Brandon Herrera. He disclosed on his financial report that he only [37:48] made $80,000. He then months later, which was months after he said he was going to fix it, then said, [37:55] nope, you know what? I am a multimillionaire. That is not good faith. That is not transparency. [38:00] And that is not what the people in Texas need. All right. Final, one of the final questions here. [38:06] According to the U.S. Census estimates, more than 56,000 veterans live in Congressional District 23, [38:15] along with all the active duty military families. What specific federal programs would you protect [38:22] to support veterans and military families? And how would you pay for them? Brandon? Absolutely. Well, [38:29] there's a lot of things that are involved in that, but you're absolutely right. This is one of the [38:34] biggest veteran districts in the country. We have not only in San Antonio, Military City, USA, [38:39] we have Fort Sam Houston. You know, we have Camp Bullis. We have El Paso. We've got Fort Bliss. We have [38:46] so many military installations here and a lot of retiring military that chose West Texas as their final [38:51] home. I understand it. It's a beautiful country. I understand, especially when you need to be remote or you [38:56] want to be remote and left alone, it's a great place. That being said, that comes with a cost [39:01] because being remote means that you don't have easy access to places like Audie Murphy Hospital. [39:07] You don't have access to a lot of those things, which is why we not only want to expand TRICARE, [39:12] but also expand community care to make sure that those people can get the doctors of their choice [39:17] and they don't have to get appointments where they have to find somebody who's willing to drive them [39:21] three hours to San Antonio. And you know how the VA goes. You could get cancellations. All sorts of [39:27] things can come up. It's a great example of why government health care may not be the solution. [39:32] If you doubt that, ask somebody who's had to deal with the VA. I'm sure they'll tell you. But those [39:37] are just a couple of those things and that's something that we're going to specifically target [39:41] as well as with a lot of the issues that we're having, particularly with veteran suicide being an [39:45] epidemic in this country. We've dedicated and we've pledged that we will have three full-time staffers in DC [39:51] dedicated to answering veterans, their concerns, their questions, and issues about their benefits. [39:57] Katie, your turn. Thank you. I come from a military family. My grandfather died active duty. He fought [40:06] in the Korean War and left my grandmother when he died after he came back from the war with five [40:14] children to raise on her own. She was able to do that because of the benefits she received. She was able [40:20] to stay in the same home. She was able to send all of her kids to college. She was able to get them [40:25] cars so that they could get to college and continue their education. Those are principles that we stand [40:30] by. This last term, Republicans tried to get in a bill that would cut our financial support to [40:37] survivors, to spouses. That is not okay and that is not something I will stand beside. We want to talk [40:43] about increasing access to health care at the VA. Well then, let's talk about this war that nobody asked for, [40:49] that we don't need. That is costing upwards of 40 billion dollars. That is going to continue to [40:54] cost billions of dollars. Money that we could be putting into our health care here for our veterans. [41:00] Brandon Herrera now wants to call suicide, veteran suicide, an epidemic. Though yes, that's after he [41:06] made millions of dollars after making jokes online, making fun of Nazis, and making fun of veteran suicide, [41:15] making fun of all of these things that we know he does not need to be doing. You have a minute for a [41:23] rebuttal? And here I thought making fun of Nazis was a good thing. Out in West Texas, I mean, for [41:29] example, my grandfather was a Silver Star recipient from the Korean War. He's a great man. I watched him [41:36] wither in the VA system before he died. I was actually one of his last caretakers before he passed [41:42] away. And I got to see firsthand how we're failing the veterans of this country. I come from a proud, [41:48] uh, family with a proud history of military service. And that's something that I take incredibly [41:53] seriously. Me and my business partners, we've raised over a million dollars for veteran charities, [41:57] and that was before running for office. That's because that's something we deeply, deeply care about. [42:02] And it frustrates me to see the lack of care that we're giving people who signed on the dotted line to [42:07] protect this country, knowing that when it was our turn, the government's turn to protect them, [42:13] that we were going to stand up and do that, that we were going to take care of them from all the [42:17] injuries they may have sustained in, uh, in combat and throughout their careers. And we have done a [42:21] terrible job in doing so. I want to see that that's fixed. Katie, one minute. Thank you. I apologize. [42:28] I did misspoke. He chooses to goose up on YouTube for clicks and bait and money so that he can promote [42:36] that type of ideology. He chooses to shame women, call children sexually explicit comments, and he [42:46] wants to represent us in office. If you truly believe that he cares about veterans, he would [42:52] not be making money off of joking about veteran suicide. He would not even think or talk about [42:59] veteran suicide when we lose up to 17 veterans every single day to that epidemic. All right, [43:06] well, we have come to our final question here in this live debate. And for the final question, [43:11] we're going to turn it over to you, our viewers. And for that, we're checking in with Jordan Elder, [43:15] who has been monitoring the submissions that viewers have been providing to us in terms of [43:20] what they want to hear from the candidates tonight. Jordan. We have gotten hundreds of comments over the [43:24] course of Facebook, YouTube, all of the platforms where we're streaming right now. I want to bring you this [43:29] question from Joe Day. It came in on Facebook. Joe wants to know if you serve one term in Congress, [43:36] what are the two or three concrete changes you would most want voters to be able to point to and say [43:41] this is what you accomplished? Brandon? Absolutely. Where do I begin? I think we need to codify [43:48] a lot of the changes that have been made on the border that has allowed this this administration to have [43:53] the most secure border that we've seen in years. Everybody here who lives in Texas District 23 remembers what it [43:59] was like during the Biden border crisis. They remember floods of illegals coming over and just [44:04] how unsafe that we were. I mean, the sheriff of Kinney County told me that they needed a better body [44:10] refrigeration because they were finding so many bodies on a daily basis out in just little bracket [44:16] fill. Now, that's something we need to make sure that we codify to make sure that this district never [44:20] returns to being ground zero of the border crisis. Another thing I pledged is that I'm not going to buy, [44:25] sell, trade a single stock while in office. I also want to impose term limits and a lot of other things [44:30] that politicians are afraid to do because they have interests and they frankly want to go there [44:35] to get rich. I've been very fortunate with this country and the opportunities that it's given me [44:40] and right now it's my time to be able to give that back. I'm taking a radical pay cut to represent [44:44] this district the way I always thought it should have been and that's something that, I mean, I feel very [44:49] strongly about. I think that this district has suffered significantly in past years from poor [44:56] leadership and that's something I want to make sure we step up and correct. Katie. Thank you. The top [45:02] three things I would accomplish when I get to office, number one is universal pre-k. We know that for every [45:08] dollar we invest in pre-k education, we receive seven dollars back in economic growth. It is a hardship [45:13] for families to have to pay for child care at the same cost that is equal to their rent or more. That is [45:19] unacceptable and it is something we need to be investing in. We need to have access to health [45:24] care. I want to expand Medicare. I want to make sure that everyone is covered, that health care is [45:31] accessible and affordable here in America. If we can spend 40 billion dollars on a war we don't need, [45:37] we can afford cancer treatment for our people here at home who need it. I'm going to talk about stock [45:42] trading. I vow not to purchase or buy a single stock. I am not going to get rich when I go to Congress [45:49] and in fact I'm going to make sure that we call a vote to ban stock trading in Congress. [45:53] What I'd like to know from Brandon Herrera is whether or not he's going to stop his gun [45:57] manufacturing business while he's in Congress, whether or not he's going to stop partnering [46:01] with people on his YouTube channel so that he can focus on the people who matter here in the district [46:07] and not be held to donors and corporate PAC money and special interests. Brandon, rebuttal? [46:13] Absolutely. Well it's funny because I ran my campaign going up against corporate PAC money [46:18] and outsider funds. So I've always been the candidate on the outside. I never had the support [46:23] of the big corporate PAC dollars and frankly we don't need them. I'm proud to say that we had probably [46:29] the largest small dollar fundraising operation in any primary in American history. That was because [46:37] it's not just the voice. It's not the voice of the big corporate PACs. It's not the voice of the mega [46:41] donors. It was the voice of the people and patriots who knew that we need somebody serious at the helm [46:48] in this district. Now of course according to house ethics of course I have to step away from all of [46:53] that. That's not really a problem. What I'm more interested in is in getting started. We have a lot of [46:58] issues that you know we addressed somewhat during this debate. There's a lot more issues. The number [47:03] one being affordability. That's something that I think we need a competent business-minded person to be [47:08] able to attack and address and I think that I'm that person and I have the leadership experience [47:13] needed. Katie, your turn. Thank you. I'm not sure what leadership experience he's referring to, [47:18] but let's talk about him calling himself an outsider. He wants to say he's an outsider while he's with [47:23] Mike Johnson, with Trump, saying that he's already acting like your congressman, meeting with people [47:28] who are in administration causing havoc in our communities right now. He wants to say that he doesn't [47:35] take money from mega donors or he is not beholden to corporate PACs. Well, we wouldn't know. He has [47:40] a shell company in California where he's funneling off millions of dollars. He was flagged by a watchdog [47:47] group who was founded by a Republican who said, hey, everyone else has to say where their money's going, [47:54] how to disclose it. We have to tell you what we're spending it on, but not him. He's above that. He can [48:01] take 90% of his donations, put them in the shell company, and we don't know what happens to them. [48:06] That is not transparency and that is not good faith. Jordan, we're going back to you so we can hear a [48:14] little bit more from you before we wrap it up. Absolutely. Thank you both for answering these [48:18] questions from our viewers. A lot of these potential viewers are potential constituents as well, [48:23] so I know that they appreciate it. Thank you to everyone who weighed in on social media. Yami and [48:27] Robert are going to take it from here. All right, and it's time for closing statements. We will start with Katie. [48:35] Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to tell you and share my vision for possibly [48:40] representing you in Congress as the first Congresswoman of the Texas 23rd. I was born in [48:46] Texas, raised in Texas, went to school in Texas. My husband and I are raising our four beautiful [48:51] children here. I have spent my life fighting to protect children and fighting to give them a better [48:58] future. We know something isn't right. When we go to the gas pump, when we buy groceries, when we hear [49:06] people talk about politics, and when we see how people talk at each other. But it doesn't have to be [49:12] that way. There is a clear choice. I have spent my life advocating for children and families in the [49:20] court system and in the classroom. My opponent, on the other hand, has made millions making YouTube videos, [49:28] making fun of women's bodies, making fun of child murder, mocking veteran suicide, and goose-stepping [49:38] to Nazi march music. That is not okay. The choice here is clear. He has done all of that and now he [49:50] wants to ask you for his vote. When he, he wants to ask you for your vote. When he moves here from North [49:57] Carolina to Texas and didn't even bother to register to vote when he ran against Tony Gonzalez. [50:03] But now he wants you to cast your vote for him. He wants to tell you that I'm a radical, but the truth [50:09] is I'm a mom on a mission. I am here to drive down costs. I am here to protect our children and give them [50:16] the future they deserve and we are going to end this corruption. I am asking for your vote. Katie Padilla [50:22] Stout for Congress Texas 23. Brandon, your closing statements. Well, first of all, I'd like to thank [50:27] you all for hosting this and I'd like to thank you for following along online. This has been an [50:32] interesting debate, but the one issue that I really wish was brought up more is some of the issues, not [50:38] the media's fiascos, not the salacious headlines, but when are we going to talk about the real issues? [50:44] When are we going to talk about rural health care? When are we going to talk about affordability? When are we [50:48] going to talk about how we're going to bring gas prices down? When are we going to talk about tax cuts [50:52] for working families? I've been all over all 27 counties in this district and I've been talking [50:57] to individual voters and those are the issue that they care about. Those are the issues that are [51:01] important to them, how they're going to put food on the table and what we're going to do to solve it. [51:06] So that's the thing that I've built my campaign along. I don't need to resort to the same three [51:11] attacks. I go straight to the issues because that's at the end of the day what voters care about. [51:17] One of them I wish that was brought up was flock cameras. There's a discussion to be had about [51:20] there about that. I want to ban flock cameras and make sure that the government is not allowed to [51:25] circumvent your fourth amendment rights. Issues like that are what we're all about. You can go [51:29] to brandonherreraforcongress.com to find out more about the issues that I'm passionate about, [51:34] more of what we are going to provide for Texas District 23. And if you want to find out what's [51:39] behind the curtain with Miss Katie Stout, you can go to therealkatiestout.com. But again, [51:44] I greatly appreciate appreciate y'all for hosting this and thank you for following along. [51:48] Thank you both for your participation and I know that I probably speak for both of us. [51:54] It is a beautiful district and it deserves the right candidate for that district and it takes [52:00] people going out to vote. Yeah, that's right in the hands of the voters. So we're less than about [52:05] three weeks away right now. Again, thank you both for this very enlightening conversation and thank you [52:10] for watching. And I would also invite the candidates to go there and maybe respond to some of those [52:15] questions that we did not get to tonight. I know there's so much to talk about. We could be here [52:20] all night, but yes, absolutely. We hope we can keep this conversation going online. From San Antonio, [52:25] Texas, I'm Jamie Virgen. And I'm Robert Olguin. Thanks for being with us, everyone.